Nightmares
by Raysire
Summary: The Doctor has trouble sleeping, Rose comforts him. Author's note: I have no beta, so any mistake is mine and mine only. This is the first fic I've ever written, only finding the courage to publish it now. Also, this wasn't written in English in the first place. I wrote it in my native language then translated it. So well, I don't like it very much.


It was the war, the war again, always the war, fire and rage, his Planet under an unimaginable threat, that burnt orange sky stained by columns of black smoke, the light of twin suns dimmed by the explosions.  
The Doctor was watching from above, unable to intervene, blocked, like frozen by terror, in seeing 10.000 Dalek ships appearing in Gallifrey's sky.  
At last, terrible, but relaxing at the same time, came the realisation: it was up to him to stop all this, at his own people's expenses, at the future's expenses, maybe those of the whole Universe.

At this point, like every other night, the Doctor woke up screaming. As every other night he reached in the greenish light of his room for the light switch. But this time something was different. A voice was softly repeating his name, like a mother consoling her child. A small, warm hand met his, and squeezed it tight.

"Doctor?"

"Who... Rose...?"

Rose Tyler. The Doctor, lost in his own nightmare, had forgotten he was not alone in his ship. For a moment he remained silent, trying to make order in his thoughts. He must have woken her. He must have screamed more than usual, tonight. Or perhaps he hadn't properly locked the door.

"Doctor, it's OK. I'm here, you're on the TARDIS, it was just a nightmare."

The Doctor sat on the bed, kicking the sweated sheets, that had tangled around his legs, away. "Rose?" Again, he said her name, as if he still couldn't understand why she was there.

"Yes, it's me. It's alright. Breathe, it's alright, I'm here."

A deep breath, and the Doctor opened his eyes. Rose was sitting beside him, on the rim of the bed, in her pink pyjamas, her hair all ruffled. On a cheek she had a clear pillow mark. She must have ran there from her room at the end of the corridor. She didn't even seem completely awake. The Doctor smiled and left her hand, to rub his eyes.

"Sorry. Must have been a nightmare."

"Yep, that's what I'd say." Rose laughed nervously and put a hand on his shoulder "You were screaming."

"Sorry, did I frighten you...?"

"No...well, yes but no prob. D'you want to talk?"

"Don't worry. I'm fine now. Must've been that Dalek, today. It... upset me."

"Always weighing your words. You know, I heard you screaming loads of times, at night, since we travel together. Never like tonight. Usually I mind my own, but I couldn't this time. Sorry if I burst in here, but it totally sounded like you needed help."

The Doctor smiled. It really was like Rose, running to save him from who knows what threat and then apologising for meddling. His Rose. His Rose who had run to him when she had felt he needed help. And what was this whole "his" business, now? Must be the tiredness. He could not follow his own thoughts.

"Doctor? You still with me?"

"Huh? Oh, yea, sorry. Thoughtful. Go back to bed, Rose, I'm fine now."

"I don't think so." Rose smiled and laid a hand on his cheek, rough with unshaven beard "I'm not going anywhere. I don't wanna leave you."

"Really, Rose. Go to bed, get some sleep. I'm fine."

Instead of replying, Rose lay on the bed beside him. The Doctor, still sitting, watched her in surprise. Then, seeing the resolute expression in her eyes, he rested his own head on the pillow, beside hers.

"Doctor?"

"Hm?"

"Really, do you wanna talk?"

"No. I'd rather not. I'd rather forget. Everything."

Rose moved closer to him, rested her head on his shoulder and put her arm around his chest. The Doctor could smell the scent of her hair and feel her breath tickling his neck. It felt strangely good. And this, too, where was it coming from? He was The doctor, cold and strong, born in battle, for battle. He didn't need anyone. He didn't _deserve_ anyone. Then why her hug filled him with such warmth? Why having her so close was helping him to relax, to regain control?

"Rose?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

"Why on Earth?"

"I put you in danger today."

"Don't even start."

"No, really, forgive me. I lost my mind, that Dalek brought me back, it made me remember everything I was running from. And I almost killed you."

"Y'know... I never feared for my life today. Not for a second. I knew you would have gotten me out of there."

"But..."

"It's true. I knew you would have done anything to save me. And even if you couldn't...well, I knew you would try. "

"Where does all this trust come from, now?"

"Dunno. Maybe I'm just a bit crazy " Rose laughed, the Doctor with her. After a while, she went on. "No,to be honest... There was just a moment when you really scared me, today."

"Hm?"

"At the end. I had never seen you so...furious, and terrified. I saw immediately that, while you were pointing that gun at the Dalek, you didn't even see me. I understood that, if I didn't stop you, you would have ended up doing something you'd regret later."

The Doctor did not reply. There she was again, Rose Tyler, who could so easily get inside his head and read his thoughts like no one before. That was true. Today he really had got so close to killing her. And not when he had sealed the vaults, trapping her down there with the Dalek. But when he had pointed that alien gun at her. If she hadn't moved, maybe he would have shot anyway. The mere thought made him shiver. She noticed, and held him tighter, pushing the face against his neck.

And what was happening now? Why was that simple, innocent contact sending shivers down his back? He decided not to think about it. He continued talking instead.

"Yea. Maybe you're right. I'm so sorry."

"Don't. Nothing happened. We're still together and I'm not going anywhere, I told you that." A beat, and Rose hastily added "If you don't want me to"

"Of course I don't. I love travelling with you, Rose Tyler."

Rose smiled, the Doctor felt it more than seeing it, because she was still hiding her face in his neck. Her hair tickled him, but he liked it. The warmth of her breath was slowly calming him.  
Rose burst out laughing. The Doctor listened to her for a second, before asking why.

Rose stopped laughing for barely the time she needed to say "Adam!" before having another fit of giggles.

Oh, right. Adam. The Doctor had almost forgotten him, Rose's new pet. Maybe he had woken him, too. The thought of disturbing him, maybe even scaring him, gave him a strange pleasure.

"What about him?"

"I met him in the corridor, while I was running here. You must have waken him, he had a face like he thought some bad ugly aliens were attacking us."

"And...?"

"And nothing, I'm afraid I was just a bit rude. He was all "Rose, what's goin'on?" and I almost ran over him, I yelled to "mind his own friggin' business and go back to bed" and I closed your door behind me. Poor thing."

Now they were both laughing at poor Adam that must have just had the craziest day ever in his life. The Doctor found strangely comforting the thought that Rose had run to him instead of stopping to soothe the poor scared earthling.

"Really? You told him to..What was that? "Mind his own friggin' business"?"

"More or less, yea. " Rose was still laughing " I left him there in the corridor with a sheepish face and ran to you. I mean, You needed..."

"What?"

"Me."

Silence fell. The Doctor, once again, was surprised at how much Rose could read inside him. This strange girl from Earth, barely 19 years old, knew exactly what he, the 900 year-old-Time Lord needed. He turned on his side, making her lift her face, and looked at her. Her eyes were still puffy, her hair ruffled, and the first button of her pyjamas was undone, letting him see the white of her neck. "And what on Earth am I doing now?" thought The Doctor while he stared at her. "What the hell am I doing?" Rose seemed to ask herself the same question, because she gave a shy smile and looked away.

"Rose."

"Yes."

What was he going to say? What was he going to_ do_?

"Nothing. You should go back to bed, now."

"I think I have made myself clear. I'm not going anywhere, now or ever. I'm staying here with you. You didn't see yourself, tonight. You scared me. You were not fine, I could see it. And I want to be with you, at least until I'm sure everything is alright"

"Rose..."

He wanted to tell her not to be a kid and go back to her room, but he stopped. Was it really what he wanted? He wanted her to leave, to leave him alone with his own nightmares in the dark, trying to sleep again? He opened his mouth to tell her everything was fine, to go back to sleep, but everything he managed to say was "thank you".

Rose smiled and the Doctor, without thinking, for once, to consequences, kissed her lightly on the forehead, inhaling the scent of her hair. He wanted it to be a simple, thankful kiss, to remark his words, but he could not lie to himself any more. He closed his eyes and kissed her lips. Rose's light sight threatened to bring him back to reality for a second, but he didn't want to listen. Not tonight.

When their lips finally parted, Rose rested her head on his shoulder again, her face in the hollow of his neck. The Doctor took her in his arms and closed his eyes.

For the first time in a long, long time, no nightmare came to wake him up, while he slept close to his Rose.


End file.
